LIMÓN – Prosecutors began their closing arguments Friday in the trial of seven men charged with murdering Costa Rican sea turtle conservationist Jairo Mora in 2013. The trial, which began on Oct. 27, 2014, has faced numerous delays including defendant illnesses, the mishandling of evidence, and even landslides on the highway connecting the Caribbean port city of Limón to the Costa Rican capital.
LIMÓN – The murder trial of seven men accused of killing Costa Rican sea turtle conservationist Jairo Mora in 2013 was further delayed this week when judges ordered an attorney for the victim's family, Rodrigo Araya, to remove himself from the civil part of the case, citing problems with his attendance in court.
Known worldwide for its pristine green image, Costa Rica's environmental record is often seen as flawless by outsiders. Still, environmental problems exist in Costa Rica, and this year's headlines showed that the country has a lot of work to do to truly earn that flawless reputation.
A tropical rainstorm triggered a landslide on Costa Rica's Route 32 between San José and the Caribbean port of Limón at approximately 8 p.m. on Sunday, officials from the Public Works and Transport Ministry (MOPT) reported. According to MOPT's website, the road is completely blocked and no vehicles are able to pass.
Illness, missing evidence and other delays have caused the murder trial of seven defendants accused of killing Costa Rican conservationist Jairo Mora to fall behind schedule. Judges in Limón now say they will extend the trial to Jan. 16.
A master disc containing alleged recordings of telephone conversations between defendants and other key evidence in the high-profile murder case of Costa Rican sea turtle conservationist Jairo Mora has gone missing, several sources close to the case confirmed to The Tico Times on Wednesday.
At approximately 1:30 p.m. on Monday, one of the seven defendants in the Jairo Mora murder trial allegedly attacked a guard while being transported from his jail cell at a Limón courthouse, the Judicial Investigation Police stated in a press release.
A witness testified that at about 3 a.m., he saw one of the suspects, Felipe Arauz, and several other men who were wearing masks surround a car matching the description of the Suzuki Jimny that Jairo Mora and other volunteers were driving.
LIMÓN – Attorneys presented their opening arguments to a packed Limón courtroom on Monday in the murder trial against seven defendants accused of killing 26-year-old Costa Rican sea turtle conservationist Jairo Mora and kidnapping four foreign volunteers last year.
